


Barnes-Rogers Family

by ionlyreadgayfanfictionsorry



Series: Stucky OneShots [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Future Fic, Happy Ending, I just want them to be happy, Kidfic, M/M, Post-Canon, Stucky as parents, i don’t know, kind of angst, they’re gay and in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:42:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29534928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ionlyreadgayfanfictionsorry/pseuds/ionlyreadgayfanfictionsorry
Summary: Steve and Bucky start a family, even if it doesn’t go as well as they’d like.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Stucky OneShots [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2134059
Kudos: 5





	Barnes-Rogers Family

**Author's Note:**

> This is really bad. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. I just wanted to write Steve and Bucky as dads.  
> Please let me know what you think! and kudos are always appreciated<3

“i think we should have a baby.”  
bucky laughed softly. “steve, we can’t have a baby if neither of us have a uterus.”  
steve rolled his eyes. “you know what i meant.”  
bucky stopped laughing. “you’re serious?”  
“ye- yeah. i am. i mean, if you want. i just, i’d like to raise a baby with you. we could ado-“  
bucky pulled him into a hug. “i want to adopt one with you.” his smile was bright, his eyes showing his happiness. “of course i want to.” then he brought steve’s head down so their lips would touch.  
they pulled apart, but kept their foreheads together. their eyes were locked as they chuckled happily. “a baby.”

so a baby was what they got. in fact, two was what they got:  
it was easy to find an agency that wanted to give captain america a baby. they had them bring in and fill out necessary paperwork. they said the process usually takes a long time. especially if they’re looking for a newborn.  
so bucky and steve went home. they prepared to wait. they had to prepare anyway. so they went shopping. they bought a crib, diapers, a few onesies, bottles, pacifiers, formula. they made sure everything was uni-sex since they weren’t sure what the gender of their baby would be.  
it had only been a few weeks when they got the call. the avengers were sitting in the living room, watching an old movie. bucky and steve had their feet crossed with each other’s when steve’s phone rang.  
“hey, can you guys pause that for a minute?” tony did and steve answered the call. “hello?”  
“hi. is this steve rogers?”  
he put it on speaker phone. “yes. who is this?”  
“i’m tabitha kipling. i work with the adoption agency?”  
steve and bucky grinned, looking at each other. “right.”  
“we found someone. she got pregnant unexpectedly and is due in a month and a half. she was scared of not finding a good home, but once she found out it was captain america, she gladly accepted.”  
“really?” bucky grabbed steve’s hand. a baby.  
“yes. but there is one thing that may be a deal breaker.”  
“i’m sure it won’t be, but what is it?”  
“it’s twins.”  
“can i call you back?”  
“of course.”  
he hung up and turned to bucky. “is that, okay?”  
bucky ran a hand down his face. “it’s going to be a lot harder. and we’ll have to buy a lot more supplies.”  
“we have a month and a half to get everything.”  
forgetting about everyone else, they locked eyes. “what do you want to do?”  
steve grinned and nodded. “i’m okay with twins.”  
bucky pecked his lips. “yeah?”  
“yeah. i like it.”  
“let’s do it then.” then he smirked. “because i’m with you til the end of the line.”  
steve called them back. “we want them.”  
“okay, great! just come in tomorrow and we‘ll let you meet the parents.”  
steve hung up and grabbed bucky’s hand. “we’re gonna go to bed. watch the movie without us.” then he pulled bucky after him.  
bucky smirked and kissed steve as the door closed. “we’re getting BABIES.”  
“we’re going to be parents, buck.”  
“i can’t wait, stevie.”

*september 17, 2021*  
steve ran into the hospital, pulling bucky behind him. “we’re here for the- babies.”  
bucky laughed, since steve didn’t specify who they were.  
“right this way, mr. america?”  
bucky laughed harder as they followed the doctor. when they stopped in front of the door, his laughter faded.  
steve was about to step in the doors when he noticed bucky’s face. he stopped. “what’s wrong?”  
bucky froze. “i don’t know if i’m ready for this. what if i mess up? what if i’m bad at this.”  
steve chuckled. “it’s going to be fine. besides, it’s a little too late to back out now.”  
bucky shook his head. “you’re right.” he thought of what they would look like. they hadn’t wanted to know the genders, since they had everything unisex anyway. “let’s go see our babies.”  
steve kissed him. “do you think they’ll be boys or girls?”  
bucky pushed the door. “maybe both.”  
the nursery was filled with babies, making bucky stop. which ones were his? should he know? bucky shook his head. it was fine. everything would be okay.  
“this way,” the doctor walked to the middle of the room. “here are your babies, mr. rogers and er, mr. rogers?”  
steve leaned over and cooed. “both, it is.”  
a boy and girl laid beside each other. “are they supposed to be that close? i thought every baby had their own bed.” bucky couldn’t help but worry.  
the doctor nodded. “well. they’re both healthy babies, but they cried until they were put together.”  
both babies were awake, looking at steve. bucky leaned beside him. “hello, loves.”  
the doctor smiled at them. “i’ll leave you two alone with them. if you need anything, i’ll be right outside.”  
they nodded distractedly. then steve spoke up as he was halfway out the door. “can we touch them?”  
“of course. do you want to hold them?”  
“not yet...”  
“that’s okay. just be careful.”  
immediately, bucky reached a finger out. he ran it down the boy’s face. “so soft.” his heart soared as the baby smiled. “what are we going to name them, steve?”  
steve grabbed bucky’s other hand. “i have some ideas.”  
“me too.” bucky kissed steve’s hand. “what about freddie joseph? after my mom and your dad.”  
steve grinned. “i love it. and we can name her brooklyn?”  
bucky chuckled. “yeah, yeah. let’s do it.”  
“brooklyn mae?”  
“perfect.” bucky kissed steve’s cheek then leaned back over the babies. his babies, their babies. “i’m going to get the doctor so we can hold them.”  
steve nodded as bucky walked out the door.  
“hey, doc?” the doctor looked toward him. “could we hold them?”  
“of course. i’m about to take a lunch, but they can help you,” he gestured to the nurses standing behind him.  
the nurses led the way back inside. the first one grabbed the girl, “who gets who?”  
steve reached for her, “i’ll take her.”  
bucky watched in awe as steve smiled at the baby that was now in his arms. this was his family now. “have you decided on names?”  
bucky reaches for the boy. his hand under the baby’s head, which he brought to his lips. “freddie.”  
“and brooklyn.”  
the nurses smiled. “those are cute.”  
steve nodded distractedly. he didn’t know who to look at. his daughter or his son? he had only ever been in love with bucky, but now there were two more people in his heart. “i’d do anything for you,” he whispered to brooklyn.  
the nurse touched his arm lightly. “you know, we were kind of suspicious of two superheroes being dads.”  
steve’s heart dropped. he thought people were okay with boys liking boys now?  
the nurse immediately shook her head. “no, no. not because you’re gay. that’s not a problem. i just meant that we weren’t sure if you’d be prepared.” she tilted her head. “i’m not sure how to explain it, but either way, i know now that i was wrong.”  
the other nurse added, “we’ve seen a lot of dads holding their babies and there have only been a few others that look at their babies like you’re looking at yours. you’ll be great fathers.”  
bucky smiled. “thank you.”  
the nurse dropped her hand. “we’ll leave you alone again.”  
then they walked out.  
steve and bucky stepped closer together, holding the babies together. “have you ever been so in love?” bucky watched the babies adoringly. they were parents now. it hadn’t been real until his babies were in his arms.  
the boy opened his mouth at bucky’s words, making him coo.  
“i’ve been close,” steve kissed bucky’s head. then brooklyn’s, and freddie’s. “this is amazing, buck.”  
“thank you for everything, stevie. i’m so in love with you and i can’t wait to raise these kids together.”  
his words caused steve’s heart to soar. who knew being a dad could feel so good?

*march 17, 2022*  
brooklyn cooed and looked toward her dad. steve grinned and grabbed her. “hey, baby girl.” he rubbed his nose against hers. “you’re so big.”  
she giggled. then stopped, moving her eyes to look around steve. steve shook his head. “daddy’s getting your brother. he’ll be here soon.” steve wrinkled his nose. “someone needs a diaper change, miss.”  
she giggled again, reaching for his nose. he leaned forward, letting her grab it with a grin.  
——  
bucky carefully picked up a sleeping freddie, who opened his eyes and began to cry. “hey. no, it’s okay. it’s okay.” bucky brought freddie to his chest and swayed slightly. “it’s okay.”  
freddie stopped crying as he buried his face against bucky’s shirt.  
bucky smiled and kissed his head before carrying him to his changing table. he set him down, still holding him with one hand as he grabbed the onesie that matched brooklyn’s.  
it was light green and said ‘it’s my half birthday.’  
bucky put his arms through the sleeves carefully, worried he was being too rough. freddie seemed okay, but bucky was still even more careful as he slid the pants over freddie’s legs.  
then he picked freddie up and carried him to the mirror above the dresser. “look at you, bub. you’re gonna get all the attention.”  
freddie tilted his head, reaching for the mirror then touching the real bucky’s face.  
“hey, bucky! you guys ready?”  
bucky looked at them in the mirror. freddie in his new outfit, bucky in a dark green button up and black slacks. bucky kissed freddie’s head again before yelling back, “yeah. we’re good.”  
——  
steve walked in, carrying brooklyn. he immediately looked bucky up and down. “buck-“  
bucky smirked. steve was wearing a light green button up and black slacks, causing bucky to chuckle. they hadn’t discussed what they would wear, but it worked great. “you look amazing, steve.”  
“you too, bucky. always.” steve handed brooklyn to him. “i’ll go get their bows.”  
bucky swayed the babies back and forth before sitting them on the ground. he reached into a toy box and pulled out a couple rattles. he shook them, making both babies reach for one. “here ya go, kiddos.”  
he started making funny faces as they waited for steve to come back.  
once he did, he waited in the doorway watching his family. he couldn’t believe they were already six months old. he watched them giggle as bucky stuck his tongue out. his heart soared. he loved them more and more every day.  
freddie looked toward him and smiled. he started blabbering nonsense, so steve walked toward them. “hey, bubba. i got your tie.” he wiggles it in the air and handed the hair bow to bucky.  
he clipped the tie to the top of freddie’s shirt as bucky wrapped the bow around brooklyn’s head. “all good to go.”  
“hey, boys! auntie nat is here.” natasha’s voice yelled through the house. the babies looked toward the door simultaneously.  
“and me,” clint added.  
“we’re in freddie’s room.”  
clint and natasha both carried a baby downstairs while steve and bucky took a moment alone.  
“i can’t believe it’s already been six months, rogers.” bucky smiled as he pulled steve into a hug.  
“best six months of my life, rogers.” steve pulled back.  
bucky pecked his lips. “hey. i think we should go on a date tomorrow.”  
steve pecked him again. “what about the twins?”  
bucky shrugged. “anyone would watch them.” another peck.  
“yeah. let’s do it.”  
“perfect. now let’s go celebrate our babies’ half birthday.”  
they interlaced their fingers and walked downstairs to the green decorated party.  
balloons filled the room and streamers hung on the wall. letters that spelled ‘our half birthday’ hung above the empty fireplace. there were two small half cakes laying on a table to the right and a stack of presents lay on the floor in the corner.  
“holy cow.” bucky stopped, staring in awe. “this is amazing.” they squeezed each other’s hands.  
——  
brooklyn and freddie were now sitting at the table, watching everyone.  
all of the avengers were smiling at them, cameras out. steve carried both cakes as bucky carried the candles. there were two candles that said ‘6months’, both green of course.  
steve set them at the end of the table and bucky put the candles in. tony stepped forward to light them.  
“ready, guys?”  
the twins watched the cakes with confusion. their dads stepped behind their high chairs in case they tried to grab the burning candles.  
everyone began to sing, making the twins look around. they looked at each other and smiled.  
steve glanced at peter, making sure he was taping everything. peter sent a thumbs up, and as everyone finished singing, steve and bucky blew the candles out. they put the candles to the side and stepped back, watching the twins.  
“eat it, loves,” bucky pointed to the cakes. when they only looked at him, he used his finger to wipe icing off the cake before putting it in front of freddie’s mouth, who immediately opened it to eat the icing.  
steve did the same for brooklyn and that’s how the rest of the party went. eventually, thor brought them silverware, so the dads used that.  
the avengers realized they’d never seen steve so happy. he was a great father. and a great husband. they were a great family.  
...which only made what happened next hurt more.

*july 4, 2022*  
the twins sat on their dad’s bed as bucky covered his eyes. steve was taking a shower before they got ready, so bucky was playing peek-a-boo.  
freddie started crying until bucky uncovered his eyes and whisper-yelled, “boo!”  
freddie stopped crying and giggled instead. brooklyn clapped.  
bucky pushed them down lightly and tickled their bellies.  
they giggled loudly. bucky was too busy watching them to notice that steve was out of the shower.  
he was only wearing a towel as he opened their dresser drawers.  
bucky looked over and smirked, eyes trailing over steve’s body. sometimes he forgot how buff steve really was now. “lookin’ good, doll.”  
steve winked. “only for you, love.” he walked over and pecked bucky’s lips before kissing the twins’ foreheads. they both grabbed his chin while he did so.  
bucky reached for his nightstand and opened the drawer. he pulled a box out and handed it to steve. “you already own everything,” he shrugged, “so i wasn’t sure what to get you. either way, i hope you like it.”  
steve pulled his boxers on under his towel, then let it drop. bucky’s gaze immediately fell downward without him realizing. he blushed and looked to steve’s face once steve began chuckling.  
steve grabbed the present out of bucky’s hand and settled beside him on the bed. their knees touched as he crossed his legs. “you didn’t have to get me anything.” he gestured to the twins. “this is all i need. truly.”  
bucky rolled his eyes and then nudged steve’s arm. “just open it.” bucky wiggled his toes in front of the twins, distracting them from their previous adoration of the ceiling fan.  
inside the wrapping paper was high-brand colored pencils and a personalized sketchbook. it had ‘rogers-barnes’ engraved in bucky’s neat cursive. there were three pictures of their family on the twins’ half birthday photo shoot.  
they had used the letters and fireplace as a background while they posed together.  
(the first picture: steve and bucky with the babies in between them. steve was kissing freddie’s cheek while bucky’s lips were on brooklyn’s temple. their eyes were opened and locked with each other’s over the twins’ heads.  
the second picture: steve and bucky in the back with their heads together and legs spread out in front of them. freddie was sitting between bucky’s feet and brooklyn was between steve’s. bucky’s socks said rogers and steve’s said barnes, and the twins held on to their toes.  
the last picture: steve and bucky sat shoulder to shoulder facing the fireplace. they held the twins up on their shoulders so they were beside each other. the twins were both smiling, making the picture perfect.)  
steve smiled and kissed him again. “thank you so much, bucky. i love you so much.”  
“i love you, to-“ his head started pounding. memories suddenly covered his mind.  
his metal arm closing around their necks. their pleas as he shot them once, twice.  
he closed his eyes.  
he heard their screams as he punched them again. he heard their cries of the children that were forced to watch their parents die. he could feel the blood on his body. not his blood. never his blood. only theirs.  
longing. his stomach lurched.  
rusted. they said they fixed him.  
furnace. he would be fine.  
daybreak. “steve, i’m so sorry.”  
seventeen. “i thought i was okay again.”  
benign. he screamed.  
nine. “brooklyn. freddie.”  
homecoming. “please no.”  
one. “i love you all so much.”  
freight car. “ready to comply.”  
—  
steve was frozen in place. what was he supposed to do? bucky’s eyes opened as he said steve’s name. he apologized. for what?  
he said he thought he was okay. a scream. their babies names.  
steve’s heart dropped as he saw the glazed look in his husband’s eyes. this wasn’t bucky. this was the winter soldier.  
the twins were crying, so he picked them up and ran to freddie’s room, which was right across the hall. he placed them in his bed and grabbed a few of their toys to put in there with him.  
he heard bucky say he loved them. so he quickened his pace. he kissed them each on their head, and told them they loved them both. more than anything.  
his heart shattered as he locked and shut the door despite their cries.  
he didn’t know what to do. he never expected this. he didn’t even know what was going on.  
it was his birthday for god’s sake. they were supposed to go watch fireworks with the other heroes tonight.  
steve was back in their room and reaching for his shield when bucky said he was ready to comply. he didn’t want to fight bucky. definitely not now.  
but he couldn’t let him get to the twins. they deserved at least one dad.  
each punch steve threw at bucky’s face hit his heart, too.  
he kept saying bucky’s name, telling him he loved him. “til the end of the line, buck.” he was crying now. he dodged a punch, still hearing his babies cry. “please, bucky. i know it’s you in there.” he grabbed the metal arm and squeezed.  
bucky- no, the winter soldier looked down at it. “your name is james buchanan rogers-barnes. bucky. my bucky.” steve grabbed his other arm, locking eyes with his husband’s. “can’t you hear them?” bucky continued trying to pull away.  
“freddie joseph,” his voice was raspy from the unshed tears that burned his throat. “brooklyn mae.”  
“i don’t know what you’re talking about.” bucky’s voice was emotionless as he finally got out of steve’s grip and kicked his knees.  
steve collapsed, staring at bucky. “i’m in love with you.” he wanted to give up. he didn’t want to do this anymore. nothing he said was helping bucky remember.  
but his babies. so he got up and he threw another punch, flipping to kick bucky’s side.  
he glanced at the bed and saw the sketchbook he had just opened, what felt like years ago. he grabbed it and raised it in front of him. “do you know what this is?”  
“no.”  
“steve? bucky? are you guys okay?” they had forgotten bruce was coming over to grab the food they made.  
“bruce! go help the twins!” steve tried to yell as loud as he can, which wasn’t very loud considering bucky’s arm was now around his throat. “grab them and run. please.”  
he was starting to see dots, but he slowly accepted it as he heard bruce running into the twins’ room.  
he was glad they had given the avengers keys to the house and twins’ room, specifically.

*july 4, 2022*  
~continued~  
bruce tried to open the door, steve could hear the doorknob jingle. he struggled to open his eyes. he couldn’t breathe. he whimpered and then inhaled as deeply as he could. he knew how much air he would lose by exhaling but he still did it to tell for bruce to run.  
“please. get them out of here.” bucky’s arm tightened.  
steve tried to relax as bruce’s footsteps faded. he tried to see bucky in the eyes of the man in front of him.  
he couldn’t believe this was his husband, his babies’ dad. and about to be his killer. the worst part was knowing how hurt bucky would be once he was gone. once he remembered.  
steve stopped resisting to run a finger down bucky’s cheek. he looked so young, even with all he’d been through. “don’t do anything stupid until i get back.”  
bucky froze but steve didn’t notice as he accepted the darkness. he was out by the time bucky dropped him on the ground.  
and now it really was bucky.  
“steve? steve? please no.” his voice broke as he glared at his metal arm. he could see his handprint around steve’s neck. he reached over and felt for a pulse. faint, but there.  
he stood scrambling for his phone. this was just like when he got home from school and went to steve’s, only to find him barely breathing and a faint pulse. at least then, it wasn’t his fault.  
he still wasn’t crying. it hadn’t hit him yet. not really. “uh, hello. yes. my husband- he,” he choked, “he was, never mind. he’s fine.” he quickly hung up and dialed another number.  
“strange?”  
“mhm.”  
“strange. i need your help. i, i- steve. he’s dying.”  
“what? what’s the problem? is there a lot of blood?”  
“no. no blood.” bucky felt his heartbeat speed up. he could feel steve’s throat under his fingers. “choked.”  
“i’m here.” bucky hung up when strange showed up with one of his portals.  
he sat beside steve and ran a finger across the marks. “what happened?”  
bucky squeezed his eyes shut. “i, i-“ he ran to the bathroom, bile rising through his body. he was still over the toilet as he told strange what he could remember. “someone said them. in my head. they were trying to make me kill steve.” he lowered his voice and felt his heart sank, “and i did.”  
he wiped his mouth and walked out. “will he be okay?”  
strange nodded. “he’ll be fine. he’s still alive, just unconscious. probably shock once his body realized what happened.”  
his heart sank more. “and the babies?”  
“bruce had them at the tower.”  
bucky nodded. “i think i should go.”  
“no. stay with steve.”  
bucky looked at him. the love of his life. the man he’d always wanted to be his. and once he was, bucky fucked it up. like always. his shoulders began to shake as he shook his head.  
“i have to be away from them. i can’t hurt them. if i would’ve done something to the twins...” he thought about what his life would be like without his three most important people. “tell them i love them.”  
“barnes, no.”  
but bucky already left.  
——  
strange helped steve, taking over an hour. half of the avengers were there, trying to help strange or distracting the twins. the other half was searching for bucky, but they had no clue where to go.  
steve sat up slowly. he looked around at everyone. “i’m alive?”  
“you didn’t think you would be?”  
steve shook his head then looked around again. “where are the twins?”  
“downstairs.”  
steve knew the answer but he asked anyway. “is bucky with them?”  
strange wiped his hands with a towel. “he ran. he called me and then said he had to leave. he said he didn’t want to end up hurting you guys again.”  
“we have people out looking for him.”  
“who?”  
“tony, peter, thor, scott-“  
steve cut them off. “how long has he been gone?”  
“over an hour.”  
“probably like seventy-five minutes.”  
steve looked at the ground. if they didn’t find him, could he live without bucky? he would have to.  
what if they find him and it happens again? what if he can’t stop him this time?  
“barnes told me to tell you he loves you. and the twins.”  
“it was really him?” steve could only see the vacant eyes. how had he stopped?  
strange nodded. “yeah. it was.” he looked at his hands. “when he was telling me what happened, he puked a lot. i think he knew what he was doing, but he couldn’t stop.”  
steve felt his heart break. his voice broke, “can i help look for him? i have some ideas.”  
they glanced at each other.  
steve thought of bucky’s smile, of the love in his eyes when they looked at each other, the times he played with their twins. “please let me find him,” he pleaded.  
“no need, rogers. we have him.” tony came through the window in his suit, carrying bucky.  
bucky didn’t move from where tony released him. he just stared at steve, his neck where his arm- he needed to vomit again.  
steve watched him cautiously. he didn’t know what to do. his husband had just tried to kill him. but it wasn’t really him...  
steve stood, reaching for bucky. “you’re back.” he was crying but ignored the tears on his cheeks to grab bucky. he pulled him into a hug, but bucky didn’t hug back. “bucky?”  
they pulled apart and bucky flexed the fingers on his metal hand, staring at them. “what are you doing, steve?”  
“what?” steve tried to reach for bucky again, who shook his head and stepped away.  
“i just tried to,” his voice cracked. and he looked up, then yelled. “i just tried to fucking kill you! my arm, jesus fuck, steve. you were just going to let me-“  
steve grabbed him, despite his resistance. “it wasn’t you, bucky.”  
“then how can i remember doing it? i can feel my arm around your-“  
“i’m okay now. i’m alive. our babies are okay.”  
“what if i wouldn’t have stopped, steve?”  
“you would have.”  
“you don’t KNOW that!”  
“how’d you remember then?” steve leaned back, crossing his arms. his face was set.  
“you said- i remembered.” bucky squeezed his eyes shut. “don’t do anything stupid until i get back.”  
steve kissed him. “i love you, bucky. nothing will ever change that. i can’t live without you, so please don’t leave again.”  
bucky pulled him closer, but only with his flesh arm. “what if i do it again? what if whoever it was gets into my head again? what if i hurt brooklyn and freddie?” his heart broke again and again at the thought.  
“you won’t, buck.” steve grabbed his cheeks, making bucky look into his eyes. “we need you. it’ll be okay. it wasn’t your fault.”  
bucky began crying onto steve’s shoulder. “i’d protect you all from anything. you’re the loves of my life. but if i’m the one person i can’t protect you from, then i have to leave.”  
steve kissed his forehead. his nose. his cheeks. his chin. his lips. “don’t leave me.”  
“steve...”  
they didn’t realize everyone was gone until tony and bruce were back. they were each carrying a baby. both were handed to bucky.  
bucky was extra careful with freddie, who was sitting on his metal arm.  
“i love you both.” he looked at steve. “and i love you, too. so let me go. you’ll be better off without me.”  
“no we won’t.”  
freddie opened and closed his mouth against bucky’s bicep. brooklyn grabbed his fingers.  
“da.” brooklyn looked at him. then pointed to steve, to the best of her ability, and said it again. “da.”  
their hearts stopped. she was talking. “brookie. you just talked,” bucky beamed, making her clap.  
freddie still had his mouth to bucky’s arm as he mumbled, “bub.”  
steve grinned. “stay buck. please.”  
so bucky stayed.  
he couldn’t leave them. not after that.  
but he stayed in a separate room and never let steve leave him alone with the twins. he tried to only use his flesh arm and to take medication that cleared his head before doing anything that might trigger another episode.  
sometimes he didn’t kiss steve back, and sometimes he wouldn’t talk to the babies. but they all knew he loved them. he just needed time.  
so they stayed patient.

they would be with him ‘til the end of the line.


End file.
